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Greetings from Texas!!

My name is Charles, and I am semi-new to the trade. My father has 30+ years of experience working with residential and commercial systems below 15 tons. He is class B licensed, and has done everything from PM work to new installation in hospitals, schools, restaurants, etc.

I used to work with him in the summer while I was in school (high school through college). My older brother decided to stick with the HVAC-R industry, while I chose to pursue my Bachelor's and Master's in education. I've been teaching and coaching for several years, but I've fallen OUT of love with it. The demands placed upon the public school educator are getting too crazy for me. My wife, who is also a teacher, has convinced me that I need to find whatever gives me fulfillment in a career. We have a 21 month old and another on the way (due in May 2013). Obviously, I need to find something that can provide for me and my family, and teaching/coaching really isn't cutting it right now.

I'm going to work for my older brother and father. I'll be working new install, but my hope is that I can revitalize a dead service branch of their company. Ever since things starting getting big in their company, the service side of things had to be cut to make time for all the new construction/install jobs that they were landing. Our plan is that I can, eventually, become a partner in the corporation and head up the service and PM portion of it all.

I'm hoping that in the next five to ten years I can become fully licensed and knowledgeable enough to break off on my own.

I know it's a tough career path, but construction and hands-on labor are bread into me. I love technical work, and I look forward to working with family once again.

Sorry to ramble on and on. I hope I can learn some valuable information on this site, and so far I'm glad to have stumbled upon such a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Congrats and welcome. One question though. When you say branch out on tour own do you mean with in your family company as a partner or clean slate, new name new everything? If you like having family as partners wouldn't it be worth it to stay there and grow the company to fit all aspects of the trade? Local texan here too

Congrats and welcome. One question though. When you say branch out on tour own do you mean with in your family company as a partner or clean slate, new name new everything? If you like having family as partners wouldn't it be worth it to stay there and grow the company to fit all aspects of the trade? Local texan here too

You hit the nail on the head there. I'm planning to stay with the family business. My dad's company used to do service back in the day, but he's gotten away from it in the last 10-15 years. I'm hoping to bring it back to life a little.

A Rabbi a Priest and a hvac technician were all captured by the natives who were in the process of executing them by guillotene. The Priest was first and the natives released the blade when it abruptly stopped right above the neck, the natives looked at it as a sign from the Gods and let him go free. The Rabbi was next and the same happened. When it was the techs turn he said you know I can probably fix that problem for you all.
Lesson, apply as necassary.